Bodily attachable bulldozing assembly for tractors

ABSTRACT

This is a bodily attachable unitary bulldozing apparatus for conventional farm tractors or similar mobile power units and comprises a completely operable mechanism to manipulate a bulldozing blade as required to position such blade upwardly or downwardly as well as at a transverse angle in a vertical plane in relation to the surface being worked.

United States Patent [72] Inventor William E. Martin Martin Company P.0.Box 187, Kewmee, 111. 61443 1211 Appl. No. 698,949 [22] Filed Jan. 18.1968 [451 Patented July 13, 1971 [54] BODILY AITACHABLE BULLDOZINGASSEMBLY FOR TRACTORS 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 172/803, 172/307, 172/807 [51] lnt.Cl. A011? 59/048 [50]Field ofSearch 172/807, 803, 801, 484, 307; 37/29, 35

[561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,072 H1940 Le Bleu172/807 X 2,239,943 4/1941 Sword 172/806 X 2,565,337 8/1951 Allan172/804 2,645,667 7/1953 McGee 172/801 3,175,313 3/1965 Renahan 37/423,337,974 8/l967 Fisher [72/807 2,722,066 11/1955 Wills et 172/484 X2,742,720 4/1956 Parker et a1. l72/80l X 3,060,696 10/1962 Lang 172/484X 3,395,764 8/1968 Wirt 172/803 Primary Examiner- Robert E. PulfreyAssistant Examiner-C. Coughenour Attorney-Eberhard E. Wettley ABSTRACT:This is a bodily attachable unitary bulldozing apparatus forconventional farm tractors or similar mobile power units and comprises acompletely operable mechanism to manipulate a bulldozing blade asrequired to position such blade upwardly or downwardly as well as at atransverse angle in a vertical plane in relation to the surface beingworked.

BODILY A'I'IACHABLE BULLDOZING ASSEMBLY FOR TRACTORS The presentinvention relates to a self-contained apparatus including an operablebulldozing blade and link mechanisms for blade manipulation, saidapparatus further including adjustable mounting means for attaching theself-contained apparatus bodily to a conventional farm tractor oranalogous mobile power vehicle for maneuvering such bulldozing blade.

More specifically, the invention is directed to dual supportingmechanisms carrying a bulldozing blade with power means for saidmechanisms to regulate the vertical positioning of the blade eitherlevel with the ground or at a canted angle in relation to the workingsurface and providing mounting means for the supporting mechanisms tobodily attach the latter to a farm tractor or other mobile power means.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide aself-contained unitary apparatus which includes a bulldozing bladehaving all of the functions needed for bulldozing surface areas, theapparatus also having adjustable mounting means to bodily attach theentire apparatus to a tractor, as to the chassis thereof, so as tomaneuver the blade through the tractor which also supplies a powersource to operate the blade-supporting apparatus.

Another object is to provide dual blade control mechanisms located inlaterally spaced positions on the mounting units for such mechanisms,whereby the blade is connected at such laterally spaced locations onsaid mechanisms for vertically controlled movements to carry the bladeupwardly or downwardly in level positions in relation to the surface tobe worked or to adjust one end of the blade at a higher or lower levelto the other end of the blade for vertically angular blade engagementwith the surface to be dozed.

A still further object is to support the dozer blade on the mechanismsthat bodily move the blade by means of swivel or tiltable rollerbearings defining universal pivotal units to permit the blade to cant ortilt laterally with respect to the ground at either or both of thepoints of support of the blade on the operable mechanisms that carry theblade from the mounting units.

Another object is to provide parallel link assemblies on the mountingunits for connection with the blade and to provide hydraulic cylindermeans in diagonal relation to the links in the assemblies to cause thelinks to swing on the mounting units and to carry the blade accordinglyon the links, power to the noted hydraulic cylinder means being suppliedfrom the usual hydraulic power source of the tractor or other mobilepower vehicle carrying the bulldozer equipment.

A further object is to provide mounting means to carry the bulldozerblade and its operable means which mounting means include spaceddownwardly positioned side brackets carried on the attachable mountssecured to the tractor, wherein the side brackets are each made withvertically positioned support members to carry the link means for theblade and diagonal brace members on the support members to connect withthe tractor, both such joined members providing a triangularly upwardlyopen space to establish clearance for the front axle structure of atractor using wide-track steering wheels. In this connection it is to beunderstood that the spacing of the blade manipulation and supportingunits is such that on tractors having narrow front wheel axle steeringassemblies with closely set wheel pairs, these wheels will be freelyusable between the more or less widely set blade manipulation units andunder the tractor chassis.

Another object is to provide bracket supporting structures that providesimple orientation means to readily position the entire bulldozingapparatus in a given relation with respect to a tractor attaching partor assembly framework and to also provide adjustable means forconvenient securement to the tractor structure per se to rigidly mountthe bodily constructed bulldozing assembly in a given workably supportedrelation upon the tractor to use the latter as a convened bulldozingvehicle by reason of this attachment.

All other objects and advantages shall hereinafter appear in or becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the invention havingreference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the bulldozer attachment apparatusof the present invention as the same would appear when bodily connectedfor support and operation on a farm tractor which is only fragmentarilyillustrated to include the front steering wheel end thereof;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bulldozer attachment shown inFIG. 1 and the relationship of this apparatus to the tractor generally,this illustration showing more of the tractor details to establish someof the salient features of the invention; and I FIG. 3 is a detailedcross-sectional view of one of the bearings used in the link connectionswith the the bulldozer flange members to accommodate the canting actionof the blade, this section being taken substantially along the line 3-3in FIG. 1. i

The drawings illustrate a conventional farm type tractor 1 to which isreleasably attached the bulldozer blade assembly 2 comprising theunitary structure of the present invention devised for bodily securementand bodily removal to and from a tractor structure to convert thetractor into a bulldozing implement whenever an earth working facilityis desired.

The tractor l is diagrammatically shown and comprises briefly, theengine 3, chassis 4, the front tilting axle 5,the steering spindles 6and 7 for wheels 8 and 9 with steering connections l0 and 11, and asshown in FIG. 2, the rear tractor drive wheels 12 and 13 with fenders l4and 15.

The bulldozer assembly comprises, mainly, the bulldozing blade 16, leftand right-hand blade manipulating means 17 and 18 mounted on sidebrackets 19 and 20 that are part of the securing orientation mountingplate or base 21 and brace legs 22 and 23 stabilize and reinforce theside brackets 19 and 20 when operatively secured to a tractor, and as inthis case, to the tractor chassis 4.

The bracket arrangement further provides adjustable securing members 24and 25 that fasten the plate or base 21 to the tractor for rigidattachment and the brace legs 22 and 23 have similar adjustable securingmembers 26 and 27 to rigidly join with the chassis 4 as best shown inFIG. 1. Thus suitable leg end brackets are provided with adjustablefastening units to mount the bracket structures in a given fixedrelation upon the mechanical structure or framework of a tractor.

A further feature of the bracket arrangement described is that the sidebrackets 19 and 20 with their respective brace legs 22 and 23 are joinedbut triangularly related to establish an upwardly open space in eachbracket assembly to accommodate the tractor axle 5 so as to notinterfere with the front wheel arrangement of tractor l.

The manipulating means 17 and 18 are the same except being laterallyspaced rightand left-hand means so that the description of unit 17 willcarry over to unit 18 as well except that corresponding elements in 18will have primed reference numerals to designate the various like partscorresponding to the parts of unit 17.

The operable means 17 comprises a parallelogram supportingarrangement-having links 28 and 29 pivoted on pins 30 and 31 on sidebracket 19 and further pivoted on tiltable pin bearings 32 and 33supported by flange members 34 and 35 secured to the blade 16. Bearingmeans 32 is shown in section in FIG. 3 and provides the flexiblesecuring means that permits, along with bearing 33, the tilting of theblade 16 into a transverse cant vertically as shown in brokenlines at 36in FIG. 2. Obviously, bearings 32' and 33' also enter into the bladetilting action which may be down to the left as shown in FIG. 2 at 36 ordownward to the right side, which is accomplished by variable operationof the manipulative means 17 and 18.

Each set of links-28-29 or 28-29' has a power cylinder 37-37 forcontrolling the link positions and the'position of the dozer blade 16.As best shown in FIG. 1, cylinder 37 is diagonally installed to thelinks 28 and 29 for pivotal connection of its ram 38 with extension 39on pin 32 and for pivotal connection on pin 40 on brackets 41 secured tothe cross tube 42 that joins side brackets 19 and 20 for furtherstability and rigidity. Expansion and. contraction of the cylinder ram38 in relation to cylinder 37 will raise and lower the link sets 28 and29 associated with this cylinder and'will raise and lower blade 16through flange members 34 and 35 at this lateral location to act on theleft side of blade 16 as viewed in FIG. 2.

By activating both cylinders 37 and 37 alike, the blade 16 will movebodily and level to the ground as from the full line position in FIG. 2to the dot and dash line position at 43 or vice versa as directed by theoperator through the usual valve means provided to feed hydraulic fluidto the double-acting cylinders 37 and 37'. Through opposite hydraulic.cylinder regulation or by activating one cylinder means and not theother, the blade 16 can be tilted in a vertical plane into variousselected right or left canted positions as previously explained, oneposition being shown at 36.

The tilting function is of course made possible by means of the ball andsocket bearings such as 32 and 33. In FIG. 3, pin bearing 32 is shown aspivotally connected with the blade flange members 34 and 35 and link 28is mounted on pin 32 through the bearing ring 44 about the convexbearing ring 45 which two rings permit angular regulation of the pin 32in relation to the vertically swingable link 28 of the link set.

The described arrangement of blade 16, the manipulative means 17 and 18plus the described bracket structures to support and mount the blade andits working mechanisms all constitute a unitary arrangement that can bebodily attached to a tractor or power vehicle to convert the lattermobile units into bulldozing implements with ease and simplicity. Bysuitable hydraulic lines, valve controlled, the cylinders can beregulated to manipulate the blade and the mobile vehicle can thenmaneuver this bulldozing appurtenance as the operator desires to engagein earth working operations.

The foregoing description is directed to one form of the invention byway of example and to the disclosure of this form as illustrated in thedrawings which represent a suggested construction by way of example andnot by way of limitation. It is to be understood that certainmodifications or changes are possible in the apparatus shown or in thecombinations or individual parts without departing from the generalinventive concept. The extent of such modifications and/or changes are,therefore, only to be governed by the breadth and scope of the languagehereinafter contained in the appended claims directed to the operativeworking mechanisms of the present attachable bulldozing apparatus ofthis invention.

What I claim is:

l. A self contained unitary operable bulldozer assembly adapted forbodily attachment with a structural portion of a farm tractor or thelike comprising, in combination, a rigid structural tractor part,bracket means having attachable members for rigid securemerit with saidtractor part, a bulldozer blade, laterally spaced blade adjustment andsupport means a mounting said blade on said bracket means for verticaland bodily tilting movement relative thereto, each of said adjustmentand support means including a parallelogram link assembly havinguniversal pivot connections with said blade, and selectively operablepower means associated with each said parallelogram link assembly andinterconnected with said blade at one of said universal pivotconnections.

2. In the combination of claim 1, wherein said universal pivotconnections comprise ball and socket bearings. 3. In the combination ofclaim 1, wherein there are two laterally spaced link assembliessupporting the blade at two laterally spaced locations along the lengthof the blade and said laterally spaced power means coact with each linkmember set to induce independent blade actuation of the blade at saidlaterally spaced locations to either raise or lower the blade and bladeends in unison or to alternately vertically actuate the blade ends inopposite relation to each other throiigh opposite operation of saidpower means.

4. n the combination of claim 1, wherein the power means are hydrauliccylinders connected along a diagonal of said parallelogram linkassemblies.

5. In the combination set forth and defined in claim 1, wherein saidbracket means comprise widely spaced lateral side brackets to carry thelink assemblies for spaced connection therefrom to said blade, bracelegs to stabilize and to reinforce the side brackets and wherein saidconnected side brackets and brace legs are arranged with upwardly openspace therebetween to permit the bracket means to avoid interferencewith the forward wheel axle of the tractor to which said bracket meansis rigidly attached to support the blade and its operative linkassemblies. I

6. In the combination set forth and defined in claim 5, with theaddition of an orientation member on said bracket means to bring thebulldozer assembly into a given relationship with respect to the rigidstructural portion of the tractor, and adjustable fastening unitsconnected with the side brackets and the brace legs respectively toattach the bracket structure into fixed position upon the rigidstructural part of the tractor.

1. A self contained unitary operable bulldozer assembly adapted forbodily attachment with a structural portion of a farm tractor or thelike comprising, in combination, a rigid structural tractor part,bracket means having attachable members for rigid securement with saidtractor part, a bulldozer blade, laterally spaced blade adjustment andsupport means mounting said blade on said bracket means for vertical andbodily tilting movement relative thereto, each of said adjustment andsupport means including a parallelogram link assembly having universalpivot connections with said blade, and selectively operable power meansassociated with each said parallelogram link assembly and interconnectedwith said blade at one of said universal pivot connections.
 2. In thecombination of claim 1, wherein said universal pivot connectionscomprise ball and socket bearings.
 3. In the combination of claim 1,wherein there are two laterally spaced link assemblies supporting theblade at two laterally spaced locations along the length of the bladeand said laterally spaced power means coact with each link member set toinduce independent blade actuation of the blade at said laterally spacedlocations to either raise or lower the blade and blade ends in unison orto alternately vertically actuate the blade ends in opposite relation toeach other through opposite operation of said power means.
 4. In thecombination of claim 1, wherein the power means are hydraulic cylindersconnected along a diagonal of said parallelogram link assemblies.
 5. Inthe combination set forth and defined in claim 1, wherein said bracketmeans comprise widely spaced lateral side brackets to carry the linkassemblies for spaced connection therefrom to said blade, brace legs tostabilize and to reinforce the side brackets and wherein said connectedside brackets and brace legs are arranged with upwardly open spacetherebetween to permit the bracket means to avoid interference with theforward wheel axle of the tractor to which said bracket means is rigidlyattached to support the blade and its operative link assemblies.
 6. Inthe combination set forth and defined in claim 5, with the addition ofan orientation member on said bracket means to bring the bulldozerassembly into a given relationship with respect to the rigid structuralportion of the tractor, and adjustable fastening units connected withthe side brackets and the brace legs respectively to attach the bracketstructure into fixed position upon the rigid structural part of thetractor.